Lebanon: Israel Kills Al Mayadeen Correspondent Farah Omar and Cameraman in Rocket Strike in South Lebanon
Farah Omar's death marks the eighth woman journalist killed since the conflict erupted on October 7
Location: Lebanon, Tayr Harfa
Date: November 21, 2023
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is profoundly shocked and distressed by the recent killings of journalists Farah Omar and Rabih Al-Me'mari in southern Lebanon. As of November 22, 53 journalists — of which 8 women — have been killed, comprising 46 Palestinians, 4 Israelis, and 3 Lebanese. The latest deaths of Omar and Al-Me'mari, along with that of their driver, during a rocket strike while they were on assignment, represent a horrifying escalation in the dangers faced by journalists in conflict zones. Deliberately targeting journalists is a clear violation of international law and constitutes a war crime. The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls on the international community to take immediate action to protect journalists and to ensure accountability for those who target them, including an immediate prolonged ceasefire. We further urge international organizations, including the International Criminal Court, to determine the circumstances surrounding the killings, initiate an international tribunal, and hold those responsible to account.
On November 21, Al-Mayadeen reporter Farah Omar and cameraman Rabih Al-Me'mari were fatally struck by a missile shortly after concluding their 10 am live broadcast from Tayr Harfa in southern Lebanon.
Since conflict reignited between Israel and Gaza following Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, tensions between Israel and the Lebanese military group Hezbollah have increased. Areas along the border have seen escalating bombings, with casualties rising on both sides. Omar and her colleague were reporting incidents of violence occurring along the border with Israel when they were killed. The team's driver also lost his life in the attack.
The Lebanese satellite channel Al Mayadeen has squarely blamed Israel for deliberately targeting its journalists, alleging that the strike involved two rockets fired by an Israeli warplane. The Israeli government recently blacklisted the pan-Arab news network that is politically aligned with Hezbollah, blocking its websites due to “security concerns.” Al-Mayadeen's network chairman condemned the move, asserting that it was part of Israel's "ongoing policy of arrests, silencing people, and cracking down on freedom of the press and freedom of expression."
Fellow journalists expressed their anger and sorrow at the news of their colleagues’ deaths. Al Jazeera’s Zeina Khodr, who reports from southern Lebanon, relays the sentiment on the frontlines. “The feeling here is that the Israeli army wants to silence the media and punish journalists.”
“The feeling here is that the Israeli army wants to silence the media and punish journalists”
Sky News correspondent Alex Crawford, who recently spoke to the Al Mayadeen journalists while compiling a report on press targeting in the conflict, described their deaths as "shocking."
The Lebanese Press Club condemned the killings and called on the international community to ensure journalists are protected and that those responsible for their deaths are held accountable.
The rocket attack on Omar and Al-Me'mari adds to the escalating violence against journalists in the region. On October 13, Israeli shelling near Alma al-Shaab in southern Lebanon killed Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah and injured journalists Carmen Joukhadar, Elie Brakhia, Christina Assi, Dylan Collins, Thaer Al-Sudani, and Maher Nazeh. A Reporters Without Borders video investigation concluded that Israeli forces deliberately targeted the press workers. While the Israeli army claims to be investigating the incident, the repetition of such attacks raises serious questions about the safety of journalists covering tensions in southern Lebanon.
In another missile attack on the press, on November 13, a group of journalists reporting in the Lebanese town of Yanoun were forced to flee for cover after a double missile strike hit the area they had gathered. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
The ongoing intentional targeting of journalists reporting on the war is a blatant breach of international humanitarian law, amounting to a war crime as defined by the Rome Statute, the 1949 Geneva Convention regarding the protection of civilians during war, and the UN Security Council Resolution 2222 concerning the safety of journalists and media workers in armed conflict. Furthermore, indiscriminate attacks that do not differentiate between military and civilian objectives, impacting journalists, are also forbidden under international humanitarian law.
The Committee to Protect Journalists reports at least 53 journalists and media workers have been killed during the war, making this conflict the deadliest for press workers in 30 years. CFWIJ has documented the killing of eight women journalists and numerous threats and assaults against journalists reporting on the conflict on the frontlines and from afar.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism grieves the loss of Farah Omar, Rabih Al-Me'mari, and their driver. We extend our deepest condolences to their loved ones and colleagues. Urgent attention and action are required to safeguard the lives of journalists in the midst of escalating tensions in southern Lebanon. We demand an immediate investigation by international organizations, including the International Criminal Court, to determine the circumstances surrounding all press freedom violations. We call for the international community to increase pressure on all parties to implement an immediate ceasefire. The targeting and killing of journalists trying to report must stop.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.